Brent Meersman The Reviewer
By Sindisiwe Dlamini
Extremely powerful reviews by Brent Meersman who has chaired
the Cape Town Press Club since 2013 and is a co-editor of GroundUp. Brent
Meersman was born in 1967 in Cape Town. In 1989, at the height of the
turbulence surrounding the end of apartheid, he worked as a news photographer.
His work has been translated and printed internationally, and he previously
wrote for the Mail & Guardian. He has previously worked as a reviewer for
the BBC and the Financial Times (London). He is a compulsive traveller, having
visited 81 countries on all seven continents, including Antarctica, at the time
of writing. He is now the co-editor of GroundUp news.
Cape Town is the ideal location for a restaurant critic. The
has eaten everything from Michelin-starred meals to restaurants that serve
soup that tastes like salad dressing. his most expensive meal at the
Tasting Room was R1 150 before tip, and his cheapest was R25 for injera. In
South Africa, foreign chefs have always been at the forefront of the restaurant
scene. Until the 1980s, it was assumed
that if you weren't from South Africa, you could cook, which wasn't entirely
incorrect. The East has always influenced our national tastes the most. Today,
globalising Asia reigns supreme, with an avalanche of Asian restaurants springing
up across the country. Chef Margot Janse's incredible chakalaka lollipops are a
must-try for me. It documented how the restaurant scene is spreading to Vredehoek
and Woodstock. And poked fun at food apps and the trendiest newcomers many of
which have already disappeared. There are less restaurants’ that focus on our
African food in our days.
Il Leone will be challenged by two new Italian restaurants.
Mitico Pizzeria
Spaghetteria has gotten a lot of attention. Gianni Vigliotti and his nephew
make the rounds of the tables to ensure that everything is in order with the
patrons. The traditional Italian-South African pizza is closer to flammkuchen
than wood-fired pizzas. Café Giulia retains its pre-opening vibe and is closed
on Sunday evenings. The menu appears to change frequently, and the portions are
reasonable. There are also specials, such as cacciucco, a seafood stew from
Livorno that is dependent on "fishing weather," according to the
chef. The reason why the menus change frequently its because most of the time
people get tired from the food. The chef dutifully took down
the reservation for 7 p.m. on Sunday night, which included Brent’s name
and two other people. When we arrived, however, they discovered that the
café was closed on Sunday nights. It appears that some things are
were interpreted differently.
The
National Arts Festival
in Grahamstown was in its 41st year in 2015. With a municipal strike looming a
week after service delivery protests, the strong difference between those
enjoying an arts festival and those in terrible situations was instead
showcased. The NAF returns to its live format with a fully immersive in-person
arts experience. The festival is a national event; Grahamstown is its
host, not its be all and end all. Artists come from everywhere in South Africa
and from 29 countries besides, including productions this year, The audience was
then 40% black, but we are a divided nation in many ways. Art serves obvious
purposes, such as promoting progressive values and reflecting on the state of
the nation, as well as stimulating mathematical skills in children through
music and opening eyes. To that end, the festival employs its festival-planning
expertise as well as its ability to attract funders such as the European Union
to run or support a variety of local projects throughout the year.
